1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electron-emitting device, an electron source including the electron-emitting devices and an image display apparatus including the electron source.
2. Description of the Related Art
The electron-emitting device includes an electron-emitting device of a field-emission type (hereinafter to be referred to as “FE type”) and an electron-emitting device of a surface conduction type.
As an electron-emitting device of the FE type, an electron-emitting device having an electron beam with less spread is exemplified by an electron-emitting device comprising a gate electrode provided with openings (so-called “gate halls”) on flat electron-emitting film as in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-071536, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H08-055564 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-26209. In the electron-emitting device including such a flat electron emission layer, a comparatively flat equipotential surface is formed on the electron emission layer. Therefore spread of electron beams can be made small.
On the other hand, the image display apparatus with an electron-emitting device has to carry out stable electron emission in order to secure luminance uniformity and reliability. Specifically, the electron-emitting device has to be prevented from being destroyed by overcurrent and the like during an operation. Moreover, the electron emission amount has to be prevented from varying over time, that is, fluctuation in the electron emission amount has to be made less. As measures thereof, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-352699 discloses an electron-emitting device with a plurality of split electrodes. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-250469 discloses an electron-emitting device with porous alumina including microspace to be filled with resistance material and moreover filled with electron-emitting material such as fine particles with fixing material.